words Alexa Wang
Given everything that an electrical engineer will typically need to juggle across just one project alone – encompassing such aspects as circuit design, power systems, and troubleshooting – it should be no great surprise that so many such professionals routinely turn to calculators.
We aren’t talking here about the kinds of standard calculators you weren’t allowed to bring into your school maths exam. What we are referring to, is the abundance of specialised calculation tools that can be easily found for free online, covering functions ranging from Ohm’s Law equations to LED resistor calculations.
Tools like these can take a lot of time-consuming and error-prone manual equations out of an electrical engineer’s day-to-day work. So, let’s look at some of the online calculators you may be best advised to bookmark for your own projects.
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LED Resistor Value Calculators
The inability of LEDs to regulate current can render them susceptible to excessive current, with an associated risk of burnout. Fortunately, protection can be given to LEDs in a circuit by a resistor. This acts as a “current limiter” in such a project, preventing the flow of too-high levels of current through the LED.
By bookmarking an LED resistor value calculator – such as the one you will find on the RS Online website – you can be sure of always easily and quickly discovering the appropriate resistor values for your projects.
The necessary formula – which uses as its inputs the LED supply voltage, the LED forward voltage, and the LED forward current – is rooted in Ohm’s Law.
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Ohm’s Law Calculators
In the sphere of electronics, Ohm’s Law – which takes its name from that of German physicist Georg Ohm (1789-1854) – is as profoundly important as Einstein’s Relativity (E = mc2) equation continues to be for physicists.
According to Ohm’s Law, the current through a conductor is proportional to the voltage across the conductor. The relationship can be expressed as V = I/R, where V is the voltage across the conductor, I is the current flowing through it, and R is the resistance.
If – of the voltage, resistance, and current value – you know two of those values, an online Ohm’s Law calculator can enable you to swiftly figure out the unknown value. This could have major implications for the success – or otherwise – of an electrical engineering project.
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AWG Conversion Calculators
The status of American Wire Gauge (AWG) as the standard system for wire gauge in North America, means electrical engineers tend to come across it frequently.
Related to this, there are various potential circumstances in which an engineer may require a simple tool for converting AWG to mm2 wire sizes.
These circumstances include if the professional in question is working with electrical components or cables that differ in the sizing standards they use, as well as where the optimal wire size for a particular application needs to be determined, achieving a balance between performance and safety.
So, if you see an AWG conversion calculator online for which you simply need the AWG number as your input measurement, this will be helpful for determining the diameter or Cross-Sectional Area of the cable.
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Voltage Divider Calculators
Electrical engineers can also often find themselves putting together voltage dividers. This term refers to passive, simple circuits that use multiple resistors in series to reduce an input voltage to the smaller output voltage that may be desired.
A voltage divider calculator, then, takes an input voltage number and values for each resistor, in order to figure out the output voltage.
When it comes to rapidly resolving all manner of common electrical engineering challenges or struggles, online calculators like the above could be indispensable for your projects. Bookmark those calculators that are most relevant to your needs, and you are likely to find yourself coming back to them, time and time again.
